"There's a fine line
Between contentment and greed
Between the things that I want
And the things that I need"
Wayne Watson, The Fine Line
THE FIRST AMENDMENT OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Does the the first amendment grant individuals and individuals who own corporations, sole proprietors, or partnerships have the right to use religious belief to deny employees benefits or the right to hire and fire because someone because they do something that the owner objects to because of the owner's religious beliefs?
This is a fine line for Americans. I value my faith, my right to worship and make choices based on what I believe. I also value the separation of Church and State. The Government cannot tell me what I believe or what religious service I should attend. The Church does not have the right to dictate that government or those who do believe or worship like they do adhere to its faith and practice.
We all get uptight when we read about Islamic Governments imposing a patriarchal system on its citizens forcing women to show only their eyes in public and denying women the right to be educated We consider their practices to be inhumane and barbaric and like the pharisee in a parable Jesus told, we beat our chests and yell, "God, we are thankful we are not like them.!" BUT WE ARE!
Freedom of Religion is being used as cloak to dictate the beliefs of majority owners in businesses on its employees. For example, Hobby Lobby and Conestoga have cases being considered by the United States Supreme Court over religious objections to providing insurance coverage to employees where the insurance pays for contraception. The Affordable Care Act requires employers the size of Hobby Lobby to provide contraception without a copay. Hobby Lobby claims they should be exempt because the violates their religious beliefs since contraception is abortion.
Springfield, Missouri, City Council is considering adding sexual orientation to the city's anti-discrimination ordinance. The opposition to the change cites it is a sin in the Bible so Christians in the community want to exercise their "right" to dictate who can be served by businesses, who employers can hire and fire, and where one can live.
It appears to me that this could cross the line and make our nation like the Islamic Nations. I know this will irk some who will read this but the correlation is there. No one wants to live in a country where anything goes nor does anyone want to live in a country where citizens do not have the freedom to be who they are. The underlying cause of the arguments goes deeper than what we are seeing and hearing.
We are in a constant battle in our country over rights because we believe in "rugged individualism". We see our country as a "City sit on a hill". We proclaim ourselves to be a "Christian nation".
Individualism is the core of American life. It is in opposition to the "common good". Individualism believes that the rights of an individual should be precedent over the government so there should be limited government. Herbert Hoover promoted "rugged individualism" or that one should help themselves out and the government should not involve itself in the economics of an individual. Hoover believed that government interference would destroy American ingenuity. There is a fine line here. The extreme can lead to individualist anarchism or it is okay to infringe on the rights of others to exercise my rights.
"The City on the Hill" view began with the Pilgrims. It was reference to Matthew 5 where Jesus told His followers they were a City on the Hill. John Winthrop told the Pilgrims he believe God led them here to a "City on the Hill". Ronald Reagan promoted this idea throughout his life especially when he was President. This concept has instilled in us the idea we are superior because we have a God given gift to show the world that democracy does work and is God's way of government. This is not a bad thing but it can be bad for it has been used to give other nations a view that we feel superior to them. Some nations see us as aggressors as we seek to spread our form of "democracy".
There have times of great spiritual awakenings in the United States that has led to religious fervor and the formation of many of the religions we have. Many of these religious organizations are Christian. Since Christianity is the main religion in this country, the Christian Church claims this is a Christian nation. The Christian Church seeks to influence power over government and economics by insisting on laws that favor their religious views such as outlawing of abortion, outlawing of same sex marriage, prayer in public schools, and the dismantling of social programs because everyone should get a job and earn his or her own way. On the other hand, some advocate more government regulation and higher taxes on the rich.
We are not walking the fine line. We are staggering our way as public opinion changes, Political ideology stalls government operations, and individualism is erupting into a cultural war resulting in the most astounding behavior of adults acting like children.
May God open our eyes to see the path clearly....
Think about it.
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